Everything To Lose by Shannon Work

Author:Shannon Work [Work, Shannon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 34

Charles was ready. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Katie had stormed from the house, angry with him. But earlier that day, he had pulled one of the small baubles from the safe he kept to placate her on occasions such as this.

Katie was sitting at her vanity table, looking into a gold-framed mirror hanging in front of her. “I love it, Charles,” she said, her fingers brushing the circle of diamonds hanging from the silver chain around her neck. “It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Charles leaned over to kiss the top of her head. “Let’s go downstairs. I’ll help you fix dinner.”

She turned on her velvet chair and looked up at him. “I wasn’t planning on dinner together—I was still mad at you from yesterday. I wasn’t going to cook.”

“We’ll find something.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t feel like going to the market today. I don’t think we have anything.”

Charles couldn’t imagine how Katie could consistently waste days with little to show for them except discarded fashion magazines and the occasional lunch with girlfriends. People without ambition were enigmas he didn’t understand. But he was tolerant of them when they served his purpose.

“Then let’s go to the club for dinner.”

Katie beamed. “That’s a great idea.” She sprang from her chair and started toward the large closet they shared. “Just give me a few minutes to get dressed.”

Charles leaned back against the bathroom counter, pulled his phone from the pocket of his slacks, and scrolled through emails. He could hear Katie furiously opening and closing drawers in the closet.

“Charles, you do remember that Elliot’s funeral is tomorrow, don’t you?”

Charles looked up from his phone and toward the open closet door. Katie had slipped on a silk dress and was adjusting it in the full-length mirror. He had forgotten about the funeral. He wasn’t interested in going but knew it would look bad if he didn’t.

“What time?” he asked.

“Ten o’clock at All Faiths Chapel.”

“In Vail?” He knew he had to go to the damned thing but hadn’t planned on losing a whole day.

“Yes, darling. Of course in Vail. Elliot almost never spent time in Denver after he and Victoria built the house—you know that.”

She had positioned a stepstool below the shoe rack that stretched floor to ceiling. Charles watched her balance on her tiptoes, reaching for a pair of stilettos. She wavered, momentarily losing her balance before catching herself. Charles knew he could easily reach the shoes she wanted without the stool, but he turned his attention back to his phone. He’d let her feel the satisfaction of accomplishing something before the day was over.

When Katie finally emerged from the closet, she stood looking at him, her head cocked at an angle. “Well?”

She was fishing for a compliment. She’s nothing if not consistent, Charles thought. The woman thrived on compliments and adulation—the hallmarks of low self-esteem.

He stepped toward her and pulled her close. “You look amazing.”

On the way down the marble staircase, they continued the conversation.

“Did you get a chance to call Victoria today?” he asked.

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